Greased Lightning
by oc03
Summary: Kenickie is having confusing feelings and is conflicted over who to talk to about it...
1. Chapter 1

Kenickie felt overwhelmingly relived that Rizzo wasn't pregnant. He was terrified. What if she had been? He would have had to tell her he was gay, seeing as she would have been carrying his child. When Rizzo had first said she was pregnant all that was racing through his head was _What if she wants to start our relationship up again? That can't happen. I don't even like girls!_ When she had told him that is was a false alarm, he was relieved for many reasons. For one, he wouldn't have a child to take care of. Second...well, he didn't exactly want to be associated with a woman. Especially now that he had discovered his lustful desire for the one and only Danny Zuko.

Danny was the kind of guy that would strut around school, he knew he was the most popular guy there - and the best looking. Kenickie would be perfectly happy having a crush on Danny , if only he wasn't his best friend. They had been best friends ever since they were 5 years old. Even at that age, they would rate girls on the way they looked and all throughout school they would help each other get that one girl that they had their eye on. It was only when the boys were about 13 that Kenickie started to show a disinterest in this 'game'. Danny never really thought much of it at the time.

But then 4 years later Kenickie started to really think about what was happening. He had known he liked boys for a while obviously, but he kind of put it in the back of his mind for too long. It was finally becoming a huge barrier for him. After all, he wasn't the worst looking boy ever. Girls wanted him, and he was tired of coming up with excuses which were no longer valid. He had to tell someone. His immediate thought was Danny. They told each other everything. But Kenickie couldn't help but feel that Danny wouldn't take him seriously, make jokes even. He wasn't ready, especially in the 1950s.

The next night, much to his surprise, Rizzo showed up at Kenickies house. She wanted to go in. Kenickie panicked, frantically trying to think of an excuse. No matter how shedhe tried, he couldn't say anything and eventually he gave up and let her climb in through the window. Rizzo immediately started kissing Kenickie, obviously having a purpose to be there. Kenickie pulled away, leaving Rizzo looking confused, and slightly offended.

'What's wrong with you?' Rizzo demanded. Kenickie stumbled over his words for a moment then quickly replied with 'Um, sorry Riz, I'm just not in the mood.' Rizzo automatically ripped her arms off the boy infront of her and stood up. 'Is there someone else? As soon as you find out I'm not knocked up, you - you run off with some other slut!?' Kenickie was flustered, lost for words. He looked at Rizzo, unsure how to reply to her sudden outburst. She stormed out of his bedroom, fury on her face. She didn't even bother subtly climbing out the window.


	2. Chapter 2

Kenickie walked into school the next morning, and as he walked past her, Rizzo gave him a dirty look. Kenickie looked at the floor and kept walking. He eventually met his friends - 'The T-Birds' as they called themselves. The only boy missing was Danny. Just at that moment, the front doors swung open and Danny Zuko strutted in, radiating confidence. Kenickie blushed at the sight of him. All of the girls Danny walked past swooned and giggled. As he swaggered over to his friends he took his sunglasses off. Straight away, he looked at Kenickie. Kenickie quickly looked away, trying not to blush. The boys then engaged in their usual conversation - girls, what homework they didn't do, girls...

The Pink Ladies stalked past the group and Rizzo looked right at Kenickie, showing him how angry she was. The other Pink Ladies didn't look to impressed with him. Kenickie rolled his eyes as his friends got overly amused by this exchange.

After the last bell rang, Danny ran to catch up with Kenickie in the corridor. "Hey can I talk to you?" Danny asked. Kenickie got nervous. "Yeah, yeah sure" he replied. Danny looked at him, searching his face. "What's going on with you? You're being really weird recently. Is it because of Riz? You know she's not ac-" Kenickie cut him off. "No! No, it's not to do with her. I'm just a bit... confused right now." Danny stared into his eyes, as if he was searching for something. Kenickie turned away and kept walking. "Kenickie! Where ya going?" Danny called after him. Kenickie thought of an excuse quite fast. "I'm...My parents need me home!" He shouted. He walked to his car so fast, he felt out of breath. Danny watched him, confused. He didn't understand what the problem was.


	3. Chapter 3

Kenickie sat in his room that night, frustrated with everyone and everything. Why couldn't life be simple? He often wished he could willingly marry a girl and have children with his loving wife. But he didn't want to hide forever. No matter how much he tried to forget it and get over it, he simply couldn't stop yearning for Danny Zuko. The more he thought about it, the faster he realised that Danny was helplessly in love with Sandy. He tried to hide it and put on an act, but Kenickie knew him too well and could see right through him.

 _What if I ran away?_ Kenickie thought. He realised that he was being over dramatic. He didn't know what to do, he only had himself and his 'best friend'. He knew in his heart that his parents did not care for gay people. They had said so themselves. Kenickie recalled them discussing the controversial topic, as if they were looking down on it. What about Rizzo? Kenickie continued to think about his dilemma. Rizzo was ... well, he wasn't sure if she was accepting, and he wasn't going to say she was a particularly nice person. She was all he had. He sat on his bed, and started to cry. He had no one to talk to and didn't know what to do.

"Kenickie? Kenickie!" His mum called. He didn't have the strength to reply. "Kenickie, Rizzos at the door!" His mum continued to call. Suddenly filled with panic, he ran to the bathroom and washed his face and tried conceal the puffiness in his eyes. He couldn't let Rizzo see him like this. He couldn't let anyone see him like this.

After stomping up the stairs, Rizzo ripped his door open to find him sitting on his bed looking expectant. Rizzo looked stern, then sighed. "Kenickie listen, you have to tell someone what's up with you." She searched his face for a sign. Kenickie broke eye contact and said "I don't know what you mean, Riz, I really don't." Rizzo sat on his bed. It wasn't often you would find her being so concerned. "Is it a family thing? Is someone dying? Oh god, don't tell me someone's dying." She questioned. Kenickie stood up and walked across the room to open the door. He replied with "Riz, come on, no ones dying, nothing's up!" He opened his door, the paint peeling off of it. Rizzo stared at him. She didn't move. "Well, we better make some use out of this visit then." She said, smiling with a glint in her eye. She walked across the room to join Kenickie and shut the door softly. She leaned in towards him, but Kenickie dodged contact. Rizzo stepped back, clearly offended. "Kenickie! What is your problem these days!" The glint in her eye had turned to anger. Kenickie said "Riz, come on, I'm just not in the mood. I'm sorry." Rizzo started a rant on how he used that excuse all the time now, he never wanted to be with her, he was different...

"Are you even listening to me!?" She shouted. "Um, yeah, you were saying about how I.. em, how I was.." he tailed off, not knowing. Rizzo looked straight into his eyes and for a split second, he thought he was safe. But only until he felt searing pain across the side of his face. She slapped him again. _Again._ The door slammed and Kenickie was left by himself, staring at the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Danny had asked just about everyone in school if they had seen Kenickie, or spoken to him. Nobody had. Danny had to resort to speaking to Rizzo. When Danny had asked if she had spoken to Kenickie, she responded with a mere shrug and a disapproving look. Danny then went on to question her on why she was angry at Kenickie this time, but she again just shrugged and walked away.

Danny got worried when it got three hours into the school day. The latest Kenickie had ever been was two hours. He restlessly made it through his classes and by third period he was on his way home. He began to run halfway. When he eventually got there, he used his house phone to call Kenickies house. There was no answer. He tried again and again, but still nobody picked up. Danny got rid of the laziness inside him and decided to go to Kenickies house himself.

Danny strode up to the front door, fixed his greased hair, and knocked on the door. He knew his friend was in there. He knocked again. He heard a patter of footsteps coming down the stairs. The door swung open to reveal Kenickie, who had red rings around his eyes and floppy hair. He gasped and quickly tried to fix his hair and he dabbed at his eyes.

Danny searched his face curiously. He had never seen his friend in such a state before. "Have you been crying, Kenickie?" He asked.

"No, I've not" Kenickie replied, getting defensive. He turned a light hue of pink.

"Is someone dying? Oh god, - " Danny questioned.

Kenickie cut him off. "Jesus, no! No one is dying!" He shouted. He realised he had offended Danny and he rephrased. "Sorry. No, no ones dying - it's just I've been asked that a couple times. It's nothing. I've not even been crying."

Danny looked at his friend doubtfully. He knew him too well. He was lying. Danny could smell the beer off of his breath. "Kenickie, it's barely 12 o'clock - give the alcohol a rest. Why are you drinking right now anyway? Everyone is so worried about you. Please come to school. Please talk to me."

Kenickie finally realised how much Danny cared about him. He apologised for drinking. "Well - to start with - Rizzo hates me. She has good reason to aswell. I've been distant since...you know. The pregnancy thing."

Danny listened intently. He thought it was best that they went inside, so he led himself into the house and made his friend follow him. He was relieved that Kenickie was going to open up to him.

"She's angry at me because I won't...you know." Danny shook his head. "Oh come on - she's angry because I won't put out." Danny was taken aback by this news. Was this the same Kenickie he had known for years?

Danny chuckled. "Kenickie, man - why won't you!? You've got a chick, you have opportunities! Man, you could be fu-"

"Danny! That's why I'm talking to you. I just don't want to. It's not really...how I'm...god how do I say this..." Kenickie felt so afraid of how Danny was going to react. He knew him well, but this wasn't a very easy thing to accept in the 1950s. He noticed that Danny looked nervous. He had to spit it out before he started to get even more worried. "Danny, listen. This isn't an easy thing for me to say. I don't know how you're gonna react and I don't know -" Danny cut him off.

"Man, I'm your best friend. You can't say anything that's gonna disturb me that much." Danny said, attempting to comfort Kenickie. He was so worried.

Kenickie eventually spoke. "Okay. Well, I'm just gonna come right out and say it. Danny, I'm being awkward with Rizzo because I'm... I'm not really...attracted to her. No, girls, in general. I like boys actually." He thought he was going to throw up. He felt dizzy with anxiety. His vision was blurry but he was determined to see how Danny was feeling.

Danny sat with his jaw dropped. His initial reaction was shock. _Kenickie? How could this happen? I would never think that!_ Danny realised he may have been reacting badly, so attempted to compose himself. _Relax_ , he thought. He wasn't 'against' that anyway. "Kenickie...man. That was brave. I mean... woah. That was unexpected. But I mean, whatever floats your boat man." He smirked.

Kenickie felt an ocean of relief wash over him. His best friend was accepting him! He couldn't believe it. He thought he was going to cry. Tears of joy filled his eyes. He tried to hide it, but Danny had already seen. _Really? I'm already normalising the stereotypes. Not good for my first day..._ Kenickie smirked, wiping the tears. "Stays between us, right?"

"Stays between us." Danny replied. He smiled, kind of...happy. He couldn't explain it. But he was happy.


	5. Chapter 5

Before school on Monday morning Kenickie felt overwhelmingly nervous. Now that his secret was out it had made everything different - even if he had only told one person. He considered not going in because every time he thought of Danny he blushed and started getting anxious. He knew perfectly well that Danny had accepted him so he couldn't explain why he was dreading to see him so much. He worried Danny would be different around him, or maybe let the secret slip to their friend group. Kenickie knew Danny would never deliberately betray him, but he had never been the brightest.

Kenickie strolled into school nervously looking around for Danny or Rizzo. He was met by his other friends - Putzie, Sonny and Doody. They immediately began to question him on why he was so agitated. He knew it was coming so he simply tried to brush it off and look ordinary. All the time he was thinking W _here is Danny? Is he not coming in? Is he not coming in because of me?_ He panicked himself and began to wonder what Danny had truly felt. He knew Danny wasn't the worst actor so he could easily be uncomfortable with the idea of his best friend being gay, and pretend to be okay with it. Kenickie panicked so much he got flustered. He felt warm and he half-ran to the bathroom and ran cold water. He splashed his face a couple of times and told himself to relax.

He looked up into the mirror and behind him stood Danny. Kenickie felt so many different things at the same time. Relieved Danny was in school. Anxious about how Danny felt. Guilty for putting Danny through this. Conflicted because Danny was his best friend and his love interest. Everything swirling around Kenickies brain revolved around that boy. He didn't know how to react as Danny's eyes stared into his. He felt himself get hot again.

"How you doin?" Danny asked. He looked at his blonde friend staring into the mirror. He was fidgeting and Danny couldn't help but notice. He knew that his friend was nervous.

"I'm fine. I'm alright." Kenickie replied. Looking back on his previous panick, he came to the realisation that he had been ridiculous. Now, looking into Danny's eyes, he realised that he had the most caring and gentle best friend. Kenickie was the only one who knew of Danny's true nature. Everyone else in Rydell High viewed Danny - and Kenickie too - as popular, intimidating, attractive guys. To each other, they were finally beginning to see they were protective over each other and they were warmhearted.

The day was finally done and Kenickie was washed with relief. He had the best day he had acquired in a long time. He felt relaxed as if a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Every now and then he felt paranoid about who had found out about his secret, but all the while he felt unconcealed and he enjoyed it. He enjoyed the feeling of not having to hide anymore.


End file.
